Coordination of tourism in the Swedish national parks : a case study of Kosterhavet National Park

Abstract: Stakeholders involved in Swedish nature conservation and the tourism industry have noticed difficulties in the coordination of activities between private tourist actors and public conservation authorities in national parks. This research demonstrates and explains a collaboration problem that occurred in a pilot project in Kosterhavet National Park in 2015. The pilot project intended to create a method for collaboration between the national park management and tourist actors. The research aims to examine the collaboration process of coordinating the organization of tourism and examine the perspectives and experiences of the stakeholders. From the results of this case study it aims to learn how other local collaborations can be successfully carried out. It is a qualitative study based on interviews carried out during fieldwork in the autumn of 2016. The theoretical framework is based on the foundations of Symbolic Interactionism. The results show that the collaboration problem in the pilot project had many causes. The members in the pilot project had different perspectives, interests, and goals, and the actors found it difficult to communicate about their differences. The communication difficulties caused a coordination problem between the stakeholders. This led to a conflict where the stakeholders lost trust in meaningful interaction. The communication and collaboration between the national park administration and the local tourist actors are carried out through an informal communication. The actors at the local level are content with the collaboration, but they wish for a formal more structured collaboration in the future. Lessons learned from this case study is the importance of taking time to build relations and trust among the stakeholders, as well as to create a transparent process where the stakeholders get the same information and knowledge about the issue. All the actors do also need to understand the institutional framework of the governing documents that are limiting the conditions in order achieve a successful collaboration.